Month: March 2019

The co-owner of Russia’s second biggest airline died when her private plane crashed in Germany, the firm says.

Natalia Fileva, one of Russia’s richest women and the major shareholder in S7, also known as Siberia Airlines, died when the plane crashed while landing at Egelsbach airport near Frankfurt.

Another passenger and the pilot also died in the crash, German media quoted local authorities as saying.

The cause of the crash has not yet been identified, S7 said.

The private jet was flying from Cannes in France. It disappeared from radars at 13:22 GMT (15:22 local time), according to flight tracker Flightradar24.

Ms Fileva, 55, had wealth valued at $600m (£460m) according to Forbes magazine.

“The S7 Group holding team expresses deepest condolences to the family and significant others,” the company said.

Russian and international authorities would investigate the crash, S7 added.

Meanwhile two other people died when a police vehicle travelling to the scene of the crash collided with another car near the airport. The three police officers in the police car suffered serious injuries, DPA reported.

S7 is the main competitor in Russia to Aeroflot. It has 96 aircraft that fly to 181 cities and towns in 26 countries, the company’s website says.

Hugo Lloris made another very costly error against Liverpool on Sunday, and it feels like he has let Tottenham down too many times.

Spurs boss Mauricio Pochettino can be so proud of his side, because they dominated the second half at Anfield and they should have won the game.

Instead they lost, because Lloris had a shocker when he tried to deal with Mohamed Salah’s header. It was just not acceptable and in the situation Spurs are in, chasing a top-four place, they needed better from their captain.

With 25 seconds of the 90 minutes remaining and the score at 1-1, Lloris could only push Mohamed Salah’s header against defender Toby Alderweireld…

You cannot legislate for mistakes like that from your goalkeeper, but Lloris has been making them for a couple of seasons now.

What is in the 32-year-old’s favour is that he is still making some world class saves – away at Borussia Dortmund at the start of March, for example, when I don’t think Spurs would have got through that Champions League tie without some of the early stops he made.

But unfortunately the top goalkeepers are judged on consistency and being solid, so the rest of the team can look behind them and think “we are going to be fine”.

As we saw against Liverpool, Lloris is not providing that kind of security at the moment.

If Spurs want to kick on, and have any aspirations of challenging for the league or winning major trophies, then it is a position they need to start looking at.

… and the ball bounced back off Alderweireld and trickled over the line to give Liverpool the three points

Time to be ruthless – and bring Gazzaniga in?

I have been in a similar situation as a player where I had to look at myself because I knew I was playing well below my own standards, and that is what I am judging Lloris against here.

Lloris has been at Spurs since 2012, and he has been brilliant at times. We are talking about someone who won the World Cup with France last summer, who is skipper of his club and country.

He should be at the peak of his powers right now but he actually looks more nervous now than he did when he arrived from Lyon seven years ago.

When people talk about the best keepers in the world, his name always comes up – but I just don’t feel like his performances over the past couple of seasons for Spurs reflect that status, unfortunately.

Lloris seems to have a reputation based on what he has done in the past that is bigger and better than his current level, and that is a difficult scenario for his manager to deal with.

But I don’t think Pochettino will be afraid of dropping Lloris, and what might make it easier for him is having Paulo Gazzaniga as his back-up.

Gazzaniga has played a few games for Spurs this season – 10 in total in all competitions – and has been brilliant every time I’ve seen him. He is probably thinking “it is time for me to get my opportunity” and I think he should do.

As ruthless as it sounds, if I was Pochettino I would seriously be considering starting the Argentina international in Wednesday’s game against Crystal Palace.

I know it is a huge occasion because it is Tottenham’s first game at their new stadium, and it is one Lloris will no doubt feel he should be a part of.

But Tottenham’s priority now is not about sentiment or any of their players’ personal feelings. All that matters is finishing in the top four, because getting Champions League football next season is so important for the club’s future.

Pochettino has to decide what gives them the best chance of doing that and, in goal, he has a big decision to make

Against Liverpool you could clearly see the disconnect between Lloris and his defence – they seem to be worried about when he is going to make his next error too.

The big move is the perfect way to bounce back

The Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, as it will be called until the club concludes a naming rights deal

It is a big week for Spurs, with their move to their new home finally happening, but I don’t think this result or their poor run of results has taken the shine off it.

If anything, it provides the lift that the club needs right now. The fans and players are sick of waiting, but the wait is over.

Instead of thinking “we have got to go to Wembley again”, and play Palace in front of a half-empty stadium, they know the new place will be absolutely rocking on Wednesday. It will be the perfect way to get over the disappointment of the weekend.

And let’s remember, although the way Spurs lost Sunday’s game was a sickener, it was not a bad performance by them – quite the opposite in fact, in the second half anyway.

If they can repeat that display, then I fully expect them to beat Palace.

As Pochettino says, Spurs are now in a mini-league, fighting for a top four place, with seven games to go.

I said on Match of the Day a couple of weeks ago that I did not see Spurs making the top four, and although they were much improved against Liverpool, things are obviously very tight now and it depends what the other teams do.

A few weeks ago, it looked like Spurs had third place sewn up. It is their own fault that they are in this situation, because of their poor form, but they are in a position that I kind of envisaged for them at the start of the season.

People may say they have thrown it away, but when you factor in that they have not signed anyone for a year and have also been playing at Wembley, they actually deserve some credit for being where they are.

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp says his team needed “luck” to beat Tottenham, but added that “desire and attitude” is driving their Premier League title bid.

Toby Alderweireld’s late own goal at Anfield on Sunday moved the Reds two points clear of rivals Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

Liverpool are attempting to win their first top-flight title for 29 years.

“We compete with Manchester City. Tell me two better teams at the moment – and we compete with them,” Klopp said.

“I told the boys after the game there are 500,000 ways to win a football game, and today was rather ugly.

“But without a bit of luck you cannot be in the position we are in.

“We are top of the table. If we are there at the end of the season it will be down to will, desire and attitude.”

Defending champions City will regain top spot if they defeat strugglers Cardiff at Etihad Stadium on Wednesday (19:45 BST kick-off).

Pep Guardiola’s side became the first team in English top-flight history to reach 100 points when they won the league last season.

However, Klopp’s side are also breaking new ground and their tally of 79 points from 32 fixtures eclipses the 76 they had in 1987-88, when they went on to win their 17th of 18 top-flight titles.

“If we are top of the table after the last matchday, it would be a championship of will,” said Klopp, who pinpointed the reaction of the Anfield crowd to Lucas Moura’s equalising goal with 20 minutes left on Sunday as being crucial to his team.

“Nine months ago, we started and wanted to go for the highest stakes in two competitions. We did it our way. For all the points we have now, we work really hard.

“It is not important when you score but what it is on the scoresheet afterwards. Momentum is not a coincidence – it is something you take, you keep and you use.

“We get used to situations bit by bit. The whole stadium… it was the best performance of a Liverpool crowd after an equaliser since I arrived.”

Roger Federer captured his fourth Miami Open title with an emphatic 6-1 6-4 win over defending champion John Isner.

The 37-year-old world number five broke in the opening game and took the first set in 24 minutes.

In his 50th Masters final, the Swiss fourth seed produced some typically sublime groundstrokes and wrapped up the match in an hour and three minutes.

It is his 28th Masters title and the 101st overall for a player who has won 20 Grand Slam singles titles.

“What a week it’s been for me,” said the Swiss, who struck 17 winners overall, including six off his elegant backhand.

“I’m just so happy right now. It’s unbelievable. I played here in 1999 for the first time and here I am in 2019. It means a lot to me.”

Following his victory at the Dubai Championships, Federer becomes the first two-time champion on the ATP Tour this season, ending a streak of 19 different winners in 2019.

Isner came into the first meeting between the pair in Miami having not dropped a set throughout the tournament, winning nine of the 10 sets in the process by tie-break.

Federer had won all four of their previous matches on hard courts and asserted his dominance from the outset, losing only one point on serve in the opening set.

Seventh seed Isner had treatment on his left foot at 4-3 down in the second set but the match was soon brought to its conclusion as Federer improved his overall record against the angular, 6ft 10in (2.08m) American to six wins in eight matches.

It was sheer elation for Liverpool, who are now two points clear of City having played a game more, but misery for Spurs, who are in a real fight for a top-four place and were left to regret Moussa Sissoko’s glaring miss when through on goal minutes earlier.

Liverpool stage another late show

Liverpool are simply refusing to be denied in their Premier League title battle with Manchester City – no matter how late they have to leave it to get the three points.

They were fortunate victors here but once again they dug deep, rode their luck, and were the beneficiaries of another dramatic conclusion at Anfield. And not for the first time this season, a visiting goalkeeper was culpable.

Everton’s Jordan Pickford and Crystal Palace’s Julian Speroni have both had nightmare moments in front of the Kop that have resulted in tight home wins; now Lloris can add his name to the list of those who might be privately cursed by Pep Guardiola’s reigning champions.

There was little degree of difficulty about the save the France World Cup winner needed to make from Salah’s header, which was on target but hardly laced with menace, in the final minute of normal time.

He fumbled the routine save and it was the unfortunate Alderweireld who got the final touch. Liverpool had the win, just as it looked as if they would have to settle for a point and hand the title advantage to City.

And yet credit to Klopp’s side. Just as they did by winning 2-1 with a late penalty at Fulham in their last league game, they refused to lose the belief that they could win. They did so in a game where their opponents were the stronger side for much of the second half.

As Klopp went through his mandatory fist-pumping in front of the home support, you could sense just how significant this late show might prove to be.

Roberto Firmino’s seventh goal in his past six league games at Anfield gave Liverpool a first-half lead

Spurs miss killer instinct

Tottenham’s players slumped to the ground in anguish at the final whistle; they clearly felt they had been denied their just reward.

Mauricio Pochettino’s side may actually have been unhappy with a point but suffered for their own flaws in front of goal, especially when Sissoko missed that huge chance with the score level and Spurs on top.

There was not a shred of conviction as he bore down on Liverpool keeper Alisson. Instead there was almost a desperation to get rid of the ball to the adjacent Son Heung-min, but the responsibility was his and he choked by hoisting a hopeless finish well over the top.

Dele Alli was then inches off target and as long as this potent Liverpool side were in contention there was always the threat of that last-ditch hammer blow.

Spurs, after a tame first half, were outstanding in the second, but they are now without a Premier League win since 10 February and are embroiled in the fight for a top four place – with a Champions League quarter-final against Manchester City to come.

There is so much quality in this side but they wasted a huge chance here and ended up with an unwanted statistic to their name; it is the first time they have lost four consecutive Premier League away matches since a sequence under Harry Redknapp between December 2008 and January 2009.

And there is now only a single point separating Spurs in third and Chelsea in sixth.

Man of the match – Andrew Robertson (Liverpool)

Andrew Robertson made more passes than any other Liverpool player, creating the first goal with a superb cross

‘There are 500 ways to win a game’ – what they said

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp, speaking to Sky Sports: “I was relatively calm [after the winning goal] because it was a surprise. I saw the header and nothing else. I had no clue how the ball went in.

“In the first half, we had fantastic chances and scored a wonderful goal. In the second half, we looked heavy and couldn’t really play. They changed only a little bit. We didn’t adapt well. After Spurs’ goal, we started playing again more.

“We compete with the best team in the world [Manchester City] and play against one of best in the world in Tottenham – it is a tough task.

“City last year were champions and are still pretty good. We have to fight like crazy. The crowd was outstanding. They were really here to push us and at the end it helped. It is only positive. I said there are 500 ways to win a football game and today was slightly ugly. Who cares?

“We compete with the best team in world for one position and that is really hard.”

Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino, speaking to BBC Match of the Day: “We are all disappointed but at the same time we have to be happy with our second-half performance.

“We were a little bit unlucky to concede the second goal when we should have been ahead because we dominated Liverpool, who are a very good team.

“No one wants to lose but it’s a different defeat than the ones we suffered against Southampton or Burnley. We cannot say it’s positive but now we start from zero and we can achieve what we want.

“I was telling the players in the changing room we have seven games and we are in top four and need to compete. It’s a mini league and, playing the way we played today, I think we can achieve the top four.”

Tottenham toil at Anfield – the stats

Liverpool extended their unbeaten home league run to 37 games (W27 D10) – the joint-second longest such streak in Premier League history (level with Manchester City), behind only Chelsea’s 86-match run between 2004-2008.

Liverpool’s total of 79 points is their best tally after 32 matches of a top-flight season (adjusting to three points for a win), surpassing the 76 they had in 1987-88.

Tottenham have now lost 17 of their 27 Premier League visits to Anfield (W2 D8); only at Old Trafford (21) have they lost more away games in the competition.

Liverpool have scored three winning goals in the 90th minute or later in the Premier League this season, their second-most in a single campaign after 2008-09 (four).

Tottenham’s Toby Alderweireld is the first player to score a match-winning own goal in the 90th minute or later of a Premier League game since Troy Deeney for Watford against Manchester United in November 2015.

This was Tottenham boss Mauricio Pochettino’s 150th defeat as a manager in all competitions, seven of which have been inflicted by Liverpool. Only against Chelsea (nine) has he suffered more defeats.

Liverpool’s Roberto Firmino has scored seven goals in his past six Premier League games at Anfield, as many as in his previous 25 beforehand.

Andy Robertson has nine assists for Liverpool in the Premier League this season; Andy Hinchliffe (1994-95) and Leighton Baines (2010-11) are the only defenders to have had more in a single campaign (both 11).

Spurs midfielder Christian Eriksen is just the second player to assist 10 or more Premier League goals in four successive seasons, after David Beckham for Manchester United between 1997-98 and 2000-01.

What’s next?

Liverpool travel to Southampton for their next Premier League game on Friday 5 April (20:00 BST). Tottenham resume their Premier League duties at home to Crystal Palace on Wednesday 3 April (19:45 BST).

Lewis Hamilton inherited victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix after an engine problem hit runaway leader Charles Leclerc’s Ferrari late in the race.

Leclerc had dominated after retaking the lead following a poor start and was on course for a maiden victory when his hybrid system failed.

Hamilton closed an eight-second deficit within three laps and swept by for his first win of 2019 with nine laps to go.

Leclerc would have slipped down to fourth behind Hamilton’s team-mate Valtteri Bottas and Red Bull’s Max Verstappen but was saved by a late race safety car.

When you’ve beaten you’re illustrious team-mate, steamed off into the lead… And the engine’s gone. Yeah, that

As victory slipped from his fingers, the despair in Leclerc’s voice was clear as he asked the team what had happened, and was told he had suffered a failure of the MGU-H, the part of the hybrid system that recovers energy from the turbo.

It cost him 40km/h on the straights and left him helpless as first Hamilton and then Bottas closed in at five seconds a lap.

“Oh my God,” he said, as he saw a fairytale victory slip from his grasp on a weekend on which he had destroyed his four-time world champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel, meanwhile, made yet another high-profile error, spinning his car while being passed by Hamilton for what at the time was second place with 20 laps to go.

Vettel already needed a pit stop for fresh tyres, but he also suffered a front wing failure as he toured around to the pits, and the German finished fifth, two places behind his team-mate.

“That was extremely unfortunate for Charles,” Hamilton said over the radio on his slowing down lap. “We have work to do to keep these guys on our tails.”

Following Vettel’s spin his Ferrari suffered a huge vibration before the front wing shattered and forced the car up into the air

A new force emerges

It was a bitter blow for Leclerc, who thoroughly deserved the win, but the Monegasque had already done enough to announce himself as a major title contender.

He had started from pole position, but a poor start meant he dropped behind Vettel and Bottas on the first lap.

But he passed Bottas at the start of the second lap and then Vettel on lap four, around the outside of Turn Four, and proceeded to underline his superiority over Vettel by cruising off into a comfortable lead.

Until the Ferrari hit trouble in the closing laps, the race was all behind Leclerc, as Vettel and Hamilton swapped positions behind him.

Hamilton must have thought he had blown it

Hamilton jumped Vettel at the first pit stops, but Mercedes’s choice of soft tyres while the Ferraris fitted mediums left him struggling.

Vettel closed him down and passed for second on lap 24.

Hamilton felt he was in dire trouble, but he managed to keep Vettel in sight, so when both pitted for a final stint on mediums Hamilton was able to close on Vettel.

The world champion passed Vettel around the outside of Turn Four with 20 laps to go, and the German spun on the exit of the corner.

“Aargh,” he said. “New tyres. Box.”

It was another mistake that raised questions about Vettel’s ability to race in high-pressure situations after a series of errors last year dashed his title hopes long before they should have died.

It is not yet known why Vettel’s front wing failed, but the dynamics within the Ferrari are now fascinating.

Vettel had started the season as their leader but Leclerc has now staked his claim and proved he will be a major force this season.

On, Renault!

Behind the big three teams, with Verstappen fourth and Vettel fifth, Renault lost a finish in fifth and sixth places when both their cars failed on the same lap with three to go.

It was this retirement that brought out the late safety car that saved Leclerc’s podium position and it gave sixth to Lando Norris, who drove a strong race for McLaren.

Carlos Sainz suffered damage as a result of getting too close to Max Verstappen. He’s not the first…

Driver of the Day

Who else? Leclerc was outstanding and should have taken a maiden victory that marks him out as a major star. But it’s clear there will be another chance after a performance as impressive as this

What happens next?

The Chinese Grand Prix in two weeks’ time – F1’s 1,000th race. After the huge changes in form between Mercedes and Ferrari in the first two grands prix, it is hard to predict.

What they said

Leclerc: “It happens. Unfortunately today was not our day. But I am extremely confident. The team have done amazing job. We have been lucky on an unlucky day with the safety car. Very hard to take but we will come back stronger.”

Valtteri Bottas, who still leads the championship, finishing P2, says: “Yeah I mean as a team we got lucky today we kept it together.

“The hard work at the factory is paying off I had a difficult race as the balance of the car was everywhere and I made a few mistakes.

“I never will give space, the first lap was good I had a lock-up in turn one.”

Race winner Lewis Hamilton says: “Today was a really, really hard job and the team were incredible. It was a devastating race for Charles.

“We were lucky today. I gave it everything in the race. This guy [Leclerc] has a lot of race wins coming in the future.”

Mick Schumacher, son of seven-time F1 world champion Michael, made his Formula 2 debut in Bahrain this weekend – he tests for Alfa Romeo and Ferrari on Tuesday

Stars are out for a night race

Send it like Beckham: David Beckham arrives in the paddock ahead of the raceFilm star Catherine Zeta-Jones was seen on the grid

“I can understand, I can understand very well. I am getting used to this.”

Italian Sarri was already under pressure before the Cardiff match, with a run of four defeats from five away league matches and fans growing frustrated with the patient style of football known as ‘Sarriball’.

Fans vented their anger at their side’s largely lacklustre display on several occasions at Cardiff City Stadium.

In addition, Sarri’s decision to leave leading scorer Eden Hazard and midfielder N’Golo Kante out of the starting line-up proved unpopular with Chelsea fans.

“Kante has played 50 matches and Hazard 47,” said the Chelsea boss.

“In the last week they played two games for their national teams for 180 minutes so I thought it was time to rest them.

“We were lucky because we gained three points and Hazard played 30 or 35 minutes and Kante zero minutes.”

Chelsea remain in the hunt for a top four finish, and face Slavia Prague in the quarter-finals of the Europa League.

“We didn’t play well in the first half and we conceded a stupid goal,” added Sarri on his side’s performance in Wales.

Portsmouth were successful with all five of their penalties in the shootout at Wembley

Portsmouth beat Sunderland on penalties to win the Checkatrade Trophy following a compelling 2-2 draw in front of a competition-record crowd of 85,021 at Wembley.

Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole was the only player not to convert from 12 yards in the shootout as Craig MacGillivray saved to his left.

It finished 1-1 after 90 minutes as Nathan Thompson’s header cancelled out an Aiden McGeady free-kick.

Jamal Lowe’s exquisite lob over Jon McLaughlin looked to have won it late in extra-time for Pompey, only for McGeady to pounce again in the 119th minute to take the game to a shootout.

Oli Hawkins struck the decisive spot-kick as Portsmouth won 5-4 on penalties.

Both sides were roared on by a raucous crowd in what was the largest attended match of the weekend in the UK, and the occasion was accompanied by an energetic performance to match it on the pitch.

Sunderland deservedly led at the break thanks to McGeady, although the Republic of Ireland international’s free-kick took a slight deflection off the shoulder of Pompey centre-back Matt Clarke and into the top corner.

But Portsmouth were transformed after the interval and dominated the second half.

Brett Pitman struck the base of the post with a half-volley, before full-back Thompson arrived at the back post with eight minutes left to head in Gareth Evans’ cross.

Sunday’s final set a new attendance record for the competition, which had stood since 1988

A tense period of extra-time followed and, with five minutes to play, Lowe looked to have won the final with a majestic finish.

The winger, who grew up close to Wembley in nearby Harrow and who had been plying his trade for Hampton & Richmond in National League South just three seasons ago, picked up Clarke’s through ball before evading Jack Baldwin and lifting the ball expertly into the net from the edge of the box.

But there was to be more drama.

Clarke was unable to race back in time to his own line as McGeady’s neat footwork in the box allowed him to slot in an equaliser to take it to penalties.

Cattermole, the only surviving Sunderland player from the club’s previous Wembley appearance in the 2014 League Cup final, was the only player not to score from the spot, allowing Hawkins to net the decider.

Record numbers descend on Wembley

The match-up of two former Premier League clubs was a dream scenario for the sometimes-maligned competition’s organisers, as just more than 85,000 headed through the Wembley turnstiles.

With both sides also jostling for promotion at the top of League One, Pompey and the Black Cats could return to face each other in a play-off final at the end of May.

This crowd easily surpassed the previous competition record of 80,841 when Wolves beat Burnley in 1988, and also set a record for the competition at the new Wembley Stadium, surpassing the 74,434 who watched Coventry beat Oxford in 2017.

Portsmouth’s victory also gave manager Kenny Jackett his second success in the competition, after he led Swansea to victory in 2006.